A Smarter Approach to Parole in New Jersey
Lawmakers in New Jersey have introduced new legislation that would make the state’s parole system more effective, efficient, and focused on protecting public safety. The bill does not overhaul the system; rather, it introduces practical adjustments that align parole practices with what research and experience show works best.
At its core, the bill does three things:
- Ensures timely probable-cause hearings
- Limits the complete revocation of parole for purely technical violations
- Expands early-discharge opportunities for individuals who consistently follow the rules
These changes strengthen the system by redirecting attention to the behaviors that truly matter and reducing the costs of incarcerating people who get caught up in administrative missteps even though they pose little public safety risk.
Meaningful accountability, or responding to violations in ways that address underlying behavior to reduce future violations, is a foundational element of effective supervision. In New Jersey, the supervision burden is substantial—nearly 15,900 individuals were under the supervision of the New Jersey State Parole Board at the end of fiscal year 2024.
Yet, much of the system’s energy is spent responding to non-criminal rule breaking. Notably, recent analysis by the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender found that 67 percent of parole revocation cases handled over a one-year span involved technical violations rather than new criminal offenses. Sending someone back to prison for missing an appointment or for a similarly minor infraction of parole conditions does not generally improve community safety. Instead, it disrupts employment and housing, destabilizes progress, and does little to protect the public.
It also costs taxpayers dearly. A recent estimate revealed that on any given day in New Jersey, around 1,200 incarcerated people are there solely because of parole violations—not new crimes—costing taxpayers roughly $90 million per year (or $250,000 per day).
But New Jerseyans should not bear this cost indefinitely—in fact, the high price tag could come at the expense of public safety. Conversely, proposed improvements help make accountability meaningful. By requiring quick probable-cause hearings and proportionate responses to various levels of parole violation, the system can preserve the most serious penalties for conduct that truly warrants them—all while avoiding unnecessary incarceration.
A key element of these changes is a focus on what makes supervision work, which includes creating incentives that encourage people to meet expectations consistently. The new bill expands early termination of parole by subtracting one day of an incarcerated person’s parole for every two days compliantly served (for most offenses). For other, more serious offenses, one day of parole is subtracted for every six days compliantly served.
Every opportunity to make parole more efficient while maintaining public safety matters in a state like New Jersey, where more than 135,000 people are under community supervision at any given time. Research from across the state also shows promising outcomes when pairing supervision with support services. For example, the New Jersey Reentry Corporation recently reported that among more than 11,000 people who completed its reentry program between 2014 and 2022, only 14 percent were reincarcerated—compared to a statewide three-year benchmark of roughly 22 percent.
This shows what is possible when the system prioritizes stability, employment, housing, and incentives instead of endless supervision or draconian penalties for non-criminal infractions. Changes proposed in the new legislation reinforce responsible behavior and grant people a realistic second chance by allowing compliant individuals to earn their way off supervision earlier.
New Jersey’s proposed changes are rooted in the straightforward premise that public safety is strongest when supervision is focused, proportionate, and grounded in evidence. Strengthening accountability, rewarding progress, and channeling state resources toward the people and behaviors that pose the most public safety challenges are all attainable, and all offer a path toward a more just, cost-effective, and humane parole system. If the goal is safer communities, stronger families, better reintegration, and responsible use of resources, this bill brings New Jersey closer to that reality.